Vijay Iyer Profiled

The 46-year-old pianist-composer-bandleader — who performs Jan. 18-21 at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco — might downplay all the critical acclaim. Yet, it’s hard to ignore his burgeoning cheering section, which includes DownBeat, the influential jazz magazine that has bestowed Iyer with its most prestigious award — artist of the year — on multiple occasions.